Water Hazard
by TheShatteredRose
Summary: A once in a life-time flood occurs in Oreburgh City and Roark is trapped inside the mines. Volkner, the last person he expects to rescue him…does? ::Volkner/Roark::
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Water Hazard

**Summary:** A once in a life-time flood occurs in Oreburgh City and Roark is trapped inside the mines. Volkner, the last person he expects to rescue him…does?

**Pairings:** Volkner/Roark

**Warnings:** Natural disasters

**Disclaimer:** Do not know these characters nor any of the Pokemon franchise

**AN:** I've been feeling a little big stagnate with my writing lately and someone suggested that I incorporate what I'm interested in into my stories. So here we are. I find weather and natural disasters absolutely fascinating…as long as I'm not in them. Anyway, this story will be short, two or three chapters long at the most.

Some artist liberties have been taken. For starters the Oreburgh mines are larger than in the game. Please work with me here. And be merciful…? Er, enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 1:<p>

It was a good thing that Roark didn't mind enclosed spaces.

Being the safety officer for the mines in Oreburgh City meant that he was often the first to enter any new opening or chamber discovered. It was also due to the fact that he was smaller and skinner than the other miners. Uh huh, send in the skinny kid first. He didn't mind, though. It was always exciting to be the first to see what was on the other side.

A new chamber had been discovered, completely by accident. It seemed to be a natural formation, either created by pokemon or slow trickling of water. It was bone dry and quite narrow. And it led down to the underground tunnels below. Which would be handy if he ever desired to sneak down into the tunnels without anyone knowing.

But it was also rather dangerous. Any trainer could just as easily enter the mines. Looking after a bunch of burly miners was hard enough. Imagine trying to keep an eye on a bunch of far too inquisitive kids?

Total. Nightmare.

The orange safety cones would undoubtedly pique the interest of any passer-by, but hopefully they won't step past them for now. He had to figure out a way to keep the area safe.

Scraping his way through the natural opening to set foot back inside the mines he was used too, Roark had to crouch down low, nearly on his knees.

"Wow, you certainly give a whole new meaning to the question of what hole did you crawl out of."

Roark snapped his head up, hitting the rocky 'ceiling' overhead. Thankfully he had his hard hat on, so it didn't hurt. It did, however, look ridiculous to be caught off guard. He quickly scrambled out of the tunnel after the realisation that the voice was familiar and he stood up, subconsciously dusting himself off.

"What are you doing here, Volkner?" Roark asked, surprised to see him wilfully standing in the furthest chamber in the mines. Normally the handsome (and some even referred to as rogue) gym leader wouldn't be caught dead in such confine spaces.

"Looking for you, obviously," Volkner retorted quickly as he folded his arms over his chest, his luxray sitting back on its hunches by his side, looking at Roark with curiosity.

Inexplicably, Roark felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Why would he-?

"There was a gym leaders meeting you forgot to attend."

Roark's blush took on a whole different meaning. In an embarrassed fluster, he did mildly recall that there was to be a short leader's meeting in neighbouring Eterna City.

"…I totally forgot about that," Roark murmured, slightly mortified.

"The other gym leaders aren't exactly pleased," Volkner continued, looking mildly bored.

One gym leader in particular would be raging mad.

"I've been busy," Roark tried explain. "There's a natural cavern that leads to the underground Tunnels. I needed to make sure it was safe."

"While searching for fossils and stones at the same time?"

Roark winced yet again. "Not on purpose!"

Why was he even bothering to try to explain himself to a self-centred brat like Volkner? Ok, he didn't think of the other as a brat normally, but there were times when he did!

Roark knew what the others thought of him and the mines. They often told him, in a half joking manner, to get his head out of the dirt and go on a tropical vacation or something. He was a young man. Live life a little.

As if he could! Being not only the safety manager to the mines, he was also a relied on discoverer and researcher of fossils. Let's not forget he was also a gym leader! He could scarcely leave the city!

Sighing, Roark rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. He was getting a headache.

…There was no way to redeem himself, was there?

"Here, Luxray," Roark murmured as the electric pokemon trotted over to him, its head tilted to the side in question. Roark managed a small smile as he pulled something from his pocket and showed the electric pokemon a sparkling yellow coloured stone he found. "This is an electric gem. It'll enhance electric attacks. You can have it."

Luxray's ears twitched for a moment before a clearly happy expression appeared on its face. It made a sound equally happy and picked up the stone with its mouth. It then trotted back to stand by Volkner's side, its tail wagging while it swayed happily. It was adorable.

Pity about the master…

"Not everything can be won over by a rock, Roark," Volkner was quick to retort, that infuriating smirk on his lips.

Roark all but bristled. "If you're done reprimanding me, you can go now. Wouldn't want that pristine jacket of yours to get dirty, do we?"

Volkner snorted, less than amused or pleased by what was supposed to be sarcasm. "You have been underground too long, haven't you?"

That made Roark really bristle as he immediately stood up to his full height (which wasn't all that impressive…) "Would you just leave already?!"

"Ok, ok," Volkner finally relented, even going as far as to throw his hands into the air in mock surrender. "I'm going. Remember, you can't stay down here forever."

With that said, Volkner turned on his heel, shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and, in Roark's humble opinion, sauntered away, Luxray ever faithful by his side. Throwing a stone at the back of that infuriating head wasn't going to do him any favours, so Roark resisted.

Only just.

Feeling undeniably cranky, Roark heaved another sigh as he pondered the thought of whether he could stay down at the mines for a little while longer. No doubt that his phone would have been inundated with text and voice messages. He had his phone with him, but there were some black spots in the mines. Apparently the new chamber was one of them.

He, however, knew he had to leave eventually. _Might as well do it now_, Roark thought to himself.

Making his way out of the mines, Roark ignored his phone chiming in his pocket, informing him of several missed calls. He glanced up at the sky and sighed again. The overcast weather suited his mood perfectly. Grey and dull, and utterly miserable.

"You ok there, boss?"

Looking up at one of his miners, Roark forced a small smile on his lips. "I'm fine." Just annoyed that he can't be everywhere at once. "Looks like rain. Don't get caught out in it, ok?"

"You got it."

With that little conversation over, Roark decided to head home to, you know, sulk a little.

Kicking off his boots and removing his hard hat, Roark let the door close behind him as he shuffled into his apartment. Where he promptly collapsed onto his couch and stared up at the ceiling.

Of course it had to be Volkner to tell him he had accidentally forgotten about a gym leader's meeting. Perfect, handsome Volkner. He took great joy in telling him of his mistake, for certain. It wouldn't have stung at much had it been someone else.

He just wished…

He just wished that Volkner didn't see him as some weak little nerd who had his head buried in the dirt. He wasn't as strong as the electric gym leader, but he wasn't any less important, right?

Well, maybe now since he seemed to be neglecting his duties to the gym.

It was just hard sometimes. Not only was he the gym leader, he was also in charge of the mine and helping the museum with searching and researching fossils. Both things were equally important.

…Maybe it would be best if he quit being a leader. Prove his father right, probably, but at least he was good at mining and digging for fossils.

With that depressing, but truthful thought, Roark decided to get some rest before tackling the exhausting task of explaining himself to his fellow gym leaders. And to region champion Cynthia.

His own father would be the most difficult.

… … … … …

Roark was disturbed from his sleep several hours later to the sound of rain just thundering against the roof of his apartment. In a sleepy haze, he was greatly startled. He sat up and looked around, quickly waking up.

The rain…He had never heard it so loud! It was deafening. And worrying. Oreburgh City was situated several kilometres below sea level and near a mountain range. While it had never flooded from memory, it wouldn't be hard to imagine. It was the lowest point in the region. Well, lowest point above ground, if that made any sense. The underground tunnels were obviously the lowest point.

Above ground, the water had nowhere else to go. Nowhere other than the mine, of course.

He had better head out to see if everything was all right.

Slipping on his boots and hard hat, Roark ventured outside. What he encountered, however, startled him greatly. He thought it would rain, but he had no idea it would be so…extreme.

The rain was torrential. He had never seen anything like it in his life. The rain cast everything in a strange shade of white, making it impossible to see anything, especially at a distance. Not to mention the sound of the large water droplets hitting everything, the noise was intense.

Swallowing back a sense of nervousness, Roark gripped the rim of his hard hat, lowered it a little to prevent water from getting into his eyes and stepped out into the rain. Dipping his head further, he winced when he gazed at his feet. He didn't realise how much it had already rained. Water was lapping at his ankles!

It was no ordinary rain storm. It was something else. If the rain kept up at the torrential pace, it'll flood the city in a matter of hours.

"Roark!" an old timer miner called out to him. "The lower parts of the city are already starting to flood!"

Flooding already? Crap!

_W-what should I do?_ Roark thought to himself as his nervousness increased. _I have no experience with this!_

No, wait, he kinda did. He was a safety officer. He knew how to keep others safe. Ok, first he better turn off the power to the homes affected. The last thing he needed were his citizens getting electrocuted.

"Cut off the electricity!" Roark ordered as a few more of his miners approached him, all of which were looking bewildered, but not panicky. "Then I want you to go door to door to check on the houses affected. Go!"

"Right!"

Grateful to have been given some kind of direction, the miners with their pokemon set about battling against the raising waters to ensure the safety of the locals and tourists.

Not knowing how bad the flooding was or was going to get, Roark decided the best course of action would to check on the mines. If they were starting to flood…well, they would be in trouble!

Roark had to shuffle his feet along the ground carefully, paying special attention not to lift his feet too high for the rushing water would sweep him up his feet in a second. It was also to ensure that he didn't stumble into any unexpected potholes. While the ground beneath his feet was smooth and had been cleared of rubble previously, the water was creating its own eddies and rips, forming unexpected obstacles while destroying others.

As he moved closer to the mines, the water depth increased substantially, not to mention in speed as well. And when he fumbled his way down the rocky steps into the construction area of the mine, it took his breath away. With the water up around his hips, he was surprised by how utterly cold it was. It was like liquid ice!

"Roark!"

Hearing yet another voice of one of his men that worked in the mine, Roark pushed forward with more determination. He heard the worry and slight fear in his voice. It was clear that the water was entering the mines.

Squinting his eyes through the misty haze of the rain, he could make out a group of his miners working feverishly to sandbag the mine's entrance. But the water was rising far too quickly. If they had some warning, then maybe they could have constructed a proper levee. But the rainstorm had caught them completely off guard. Their sandbagging was only delaying the undeniable. The mines were going to flood.

"Forget the mines!" Roark shouted to them over the roaring rain. "I want you to look after the residents instead!"

"What about the new chamber?"

Roark had figured they would also be worried about that. For good reason, too. If the flash flood water made it into the underground tunnels, those who were running around in there, hunting for spheres or other treasures, would be caught completely unaware. There would be nowhere for them to run to. They were in a completely enclosed space. No way out.

Roark couldn't let that happen. He had to block that newly discovered entrance somehow.

By himself. He won't endanger anyone else.

"I'll head in and take care of it," Roark said as he pushed his way through the rapidly rising water.

"You can't go in by yourself!" one of the veteran miners practically shrilled.

Roark ignored him as he continued to wade his way through the now waist deep water. "Head back into town! That's an order!"

The height of the sandbags should be enough to slow the flow of the water into the mines. For a short while, at least. But should they break, the water would flood the mine like a torrent. It was already ankle deep. Not to mention moving at a rather steady pace. First the water will seek out all the low points before spreading out.

Although he had never encountered a flood before, he had the right mind to at least read up on the topic. He was the safety manager, after all. Flooding was slightly better than a roaring fire. Should a fire begin in the mines…?

He'd rather not think about it.

Shaking his head to clear it, Roark quickly focused on the task at hand. There was no time to let his mind wander.

With the light from his hard hat and extensive knowledge of the mine's layout, Roark was able to feel his way through the many winding tunnels and cavities. The water was a murky brown and filled with debris. It was mixing with the dirt and sludge, making it not only difficult to walk in, it was dangerous. He couldn't see even an inch in the water. He had no idea at all what could be lurking beneath.

Still, he needed to keep going. Not much further now. The new chamber was officially the lowest point in the mine, but there were a few natural rises and berms. They'll act as temporary levees, giving him enough time to seal the way into the underground tunnels. He might not be able to prevent water leaking through, but at least he could stop a potential underground tsunami.

That was what it would be. A tsunami of water. The water would be funnelled through the slight opening, making it even more dangerous. With the water packing up behind it, it would more faster and faster. It would be like a jet of water rushing into the tunnels below. Getting caught in a flash flood in a city was bad enough. Imagine how utter terrifying it would be without the possibility of any air rescue? The ultimate nightmare.

Scrambling his way over the natural bumps in his path, Roark breathed a sigh of relief to note that the newly discovered chamber was dry. For the moment at least.

"Rampardos! Onix!" Roark called as he released his pokemon from their pokeballs. "We need to block the way into the underground tunnels before the flood water reaches it."

Hearing the urgency in his voice, his two faithful pokemon immediately set to work, bashing at the walls and pushing piles of dirt into the open to create a cave-in. Although loathsome to close off a natural formation, which still needed to be explored, there was no other choice. Lives of others were more important than stones and fossils.

With Rampardos and Onix working together with practiced precision, they managed to fill the tunnel. Boulders and dirt filled the entire void. Hopefully it would be enough.

Rampardos suddenly made a distressing sound. Roark immediately turned his attention to his pokemon, noticing that water was starting to lap around its ankles. It did a hurried little dance in the vain attempt to get out of the murky rainwater. Seeing that was greatly distressing. It meant that…

No! The water was already breeching the chamber!

He had to move quickly. His pokemon had done the best they could under such adverse circumstances. "Rampardos, Onix, return!"

With his rock pokemon safely tucked away in their pokeballs, Roark placed them into one of his pockets that had a zipper before picking up a blue plastic tarp. With the water starting to reach the tops of his boots, he worked quickly to strategically place the tarp against the sealed off entrance. The pressure of the water should keep the tarp pressed against the rock pile, granting them even more time to warn those playing in the underground tunnels.

He had done all that he could. It was time to get out!

As he scrambled through the man-made tunnels of the mines, everywhere he looked was more and more water. Dark brown, murky water. It was everywhere. He hadn't realised how low the mine ceilings were until he was nearly touching it.

Ok, stay calm. He knew the layout of the mine. The water was turbulent, but not rushing. Not yet. He just needed to feel his way out. That meant he had to go swimming. Not something he particularly enjoyed doing, even at leisure, but he had no choice.

With great trepidation, Roark waded out into the water, once again almost losing his breath by how cold the water was. He could, thankfully, touch the ground. That was greatly reassuring, as if he still had some control.

But he needed to get out, as quickly as possible.

Focusing his mind to recall the layout of all the tunnels and caves, trying hard not to be worried about the water nor the pieces of sharp debris that it was carrying. He didn't have time to worry or think about any possible cuts and scrapes. He just needed to get out. If the mines were flooding, how were things in town going? Were his miners getting everyone to safety?

A sudden surge of water, however, pulled Roark out of his thoughts. It rushed into him unexpectedly and he was dragged to the side, against a wall. Before he could get his footing, he stumbled into a pothole. He staggered again when, suddenly, something seemed to crush against his foot. Something hard, heavy and metal. A piece of mining machinery?

Drawing in a deep breath, Roark desperately tried to stop himself from panicking. Stay calm and simply tug his leg back. Everything was going to be alright…

Roark tried simply moving his leg, hoping that he could wiggle it free. But there was something tight around his ankle. And it was becoming painful. He was also starting to panic. He reached into the water with his hands, gripped at his leg and pulled. He pulled with all his might. But nothing happened.

He tugged on his leg again. And again. He soon realised that he couldn't not budge it an inch, and when he did an even more something terrifying realisation occurred to him. "I…can't get out."

The water was rising higher and higher. First to his shoulders, then his neck, his chin…Roark coughed when the water began to touch his lips. He couldn't move…he was going to go under.

In sheer desperation, Roark breathed in as much air as he could before holding it and abruptly ducking under the water. He felt along his leg of the ankle that was trapped and tugged. He pulled with all his might, but the water was just too cold, his muscles were contracting and become weak.

Forced to break the surface for air, tears stung at his eyes when he realised that the water was even higher than before. He won't be able to last much longer. He was…going to drown. He never thought he would go…out like that.

Roark was nearly about to go under again when he felt something unexpectedly brush up against his leg and the pressure around his ankle abruptly disappeared.

Immediately bobbing up above the water line, Roark gasped as he tried to keep his head above water. A soft, but concerned cooing from a pokemon made Roark realise that he wasn't alone. Despite having lost his glasses during his struggles, he could see the somewhat familiar form of a certain orange coloured water pokemon. It was sitting easily within the water, bobbing up and down with the current, nestled up against Roark's side to help him stay above the water.

Floatzel? What was a Floatzel doing down here?

"Roark!"

That voice…Volkner?!

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you so very much Guest, werehogdog, ACloudyForecast and Alex for reviewing the previous chapter! Hope you will enjoy reading this one as well!

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

Volkner didn't like enclosed spaces. He didn't like the mines nor the underground tunnels. Add water to that mix and he would break out in hives.

Even so, when he got a phone call telling him that Oreburgh City was flooding and that Roark might need some assistance, he didn't hesitate. He wasn't entirely sure what he would be able to do, but even just standing around in the thick of it was better than sitting at home wondering what the hell was going on.

He had never experienced or seen anything like before. He had experience with a few tidal surges, being on the sea line in all. But the water was greatly different. It was a murky brown in colour, like liquid mud.

He wasn't the only one to have been informed of what was going on. Other gym leaders, as well as the Elite Four, were also roaming around, looking lost and bewildered. For as long as anyone could remember Oreburgh City had never flooded. It always had been a rather dry city.

"Unbelievable," Volkner murmured as he tugged closer the hood of his raincoat. "This rain just won't stop."

"Where is all this rain coming from?" Flint asked, uncomfortable by all the water. And not just because he was a fire pokemon specialist.

Volkner frowned. "A weather system must have become trapped by the mountain range." With nowhere else to go, all the weather system could do was dump all the water it held. And by the amount of water gushing through town, it was one hell of a large weather system.

Looking around, it wasn't hard for Volkner to spot Crasher Wake amongst chaos.

With a finger in one ear to drown out the rain and a phone in the other, Crasher Wake was no doubt speaking with Byron, whom of which was equally undoubtedly doing a U-turn and making his way back.

"They're doing swift water rescue in the centre of town!" Crasher Wake bellowed into the phone.

Swift water rescue? Shit. No point in asking how the situation was. That alone said enough.

Sharing a worried look with Flint, Volkner turned his attention back to what was going on. He immediately felt helpless and frustrated. With his electric pokemon and Flint's fire pokemon, there wasn't a whole lot they could do. While powerful against water, it wouldn't be a good idea to let lose any kind of electricity.

"What do you think we should do?" Flint asked him, sounding quite baffled.

Volkner had to think for a moment. "I guess you can use your pokemon to keep those in shelters warm and dry," he offered. "My pokemon might be able to kick start some generators as it seems like the power had been cut off."

Flint nodded his head, his expression uncharacteristically grim. "Good place to start."

Glancing around at the somewhat orderly chaos, Volkner wasn't at all surprised to find Gardenia running around in a bright green raincoat. She seemed to be in quite some distress, though, speaking with every local she came across. She spun around, ready to ask someone else when her gaze inexplicably caught Volkner's.

"Volkner!" Gardenia yelled as she raced over to him, a panic stricken expression on her face. "I can't find Roark!"

Volkner furrowed his brow. "What?" Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of him either. He figured he would be in the thick of it.

"He must be helping in evacuating or something," Flint suggested, although he did have a hint of surprise in his voice.

"-mines!"

Startled by the bellowing of a deep voice that was nearly drowned out by the pouring rain, Volkner jumped and immediately began to look around. He soon caught sight of a miner, the burly man fighting his way through the water. Seeing that the man was clearly distraught and tired, Volkner and Flint helped him into higher land.

Coughing, the man had to take a moment to gather himself before shaking his head desperately. "Roark's in the mines."

It took a moment or two for the information to set in. And when it did, Volkner felt an intense sense of panic and anger. "What do you mean he's gone into the mines?!"

Wait, that chamber Volkner found him early that day. Roark said something about it reaching the underground tunnels. Was he…trying to stop the water from reaching underground?

Not good! With all the water, which was only increasing in depth and ferocity, the mines were sure to be completely flooded. Roark could be trapped inside!

"Did you say Roark was in the mines?!" Crasher Wake was easily heard shouting.

Startled again, Volkner whipped around to face the water pokemon gym leader, whom had an expression of utter bewilderment on his face. He, however, had his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. Whether or not Byron had heard him or not was debatable.

A look of utter panic soon etched its way onto Crasher Wake's face as he turned his attention back to the phone. "N-no, I said he was busy minding the place! Yeah! Too busy to get to the phone, ya know? Eh heh…"

So he WAS speaking with Byron. Shit, that man was going to be angrier than a hoard of steelixes on the rampage when he found out the truth.

Not that anyone could blame him.

However, none of that was important. They needed to get Roark out of those mines before something happened. But how?

Volkner had already walked the path to the new chamber once before. Sure, it was only once, but it was only a few hours ago. He'd be better than anyone to go in there and get Roark out. He had to be trapped in there. If he wasn't, he'd be out by now.

Besides, he knew how important the mines were to not only Roark, but to the people of Oreburgh City.

…He was going in.

"Crasher!" Volkner yelled out as he removed his jacket, throwing it carelessly at a stunned Flint. "Lend me Floatzel!"

"Eh?" Crasher Wake uttered as he turned to look at him, a rather over the top expression of bewilderment on his face, his phone pulled away from his ear. "You're not going in there!"

"I think I know where Roark is," Volkner said as he levelled the older man with an impatient glare. "Either lend me Floatzel or I'll use Luxray, it's your choice."

"Argh, fine," Crasher Wake muttered as he pulled out a couple of pokeballs, releasing Floatzel and Quagsire. "Gyarados will help in ferrying the people out. Get the kid and get out. No dawdling!"

Getting stuck in the flooded mines was the last place he wanted to be.

"Volkner, bro, are you sure-?"

Volkner ignored Flint as he indicated for the two water pokemon, who thankfully obeyed, to follow him into the water. They didn't have any time to waste. But, holy hell, the water was freezing! It wasn't going to be easy.

"Floatzel, you go first. Find the best path for us." With a low bark, the swift-water pokemon darted under the water and was able to easily navigate the flood waters. "Quagsire, you're with me.

With a blink of its beady eyes, the water pokemon growled lowly before trundling into the water. It paused to allow Volkner to climb onto its back, effectively surfing.

"Be careful, Volk!" Flint yelled at him.

"We'll hold Byron off for as long as we can!" Gardenia added. "Hurry!"

After that, as he surfed through the rain and rushing water, he could no longer hear the shouts and calls of encouragement and prayers of the locals and fellow gym leaders. It was just him and two water pokemon. And the deep determination to find Roark and get him to safety.

Roughly brushing back his hair from his forehead, Volkner squinted through the watery haze, frowning deeply as he barely recognised the towering manual cranes and mechanical diggers that were always outside the mines. The water that had inundated the mines were far deeper than any other part of town. And not only was it murky, it was churning with debris. No large, car-sized boulders yet, thankfully.

If the rain kept up, however…

Reaching the mine's entrance, Volkner had to slip into the water and take a deep breath. He then ducked under the water, placing all his trust in Quagsire to get him to the other side and to a place where he could breathe. Just when he thought he couldn't hold his breath, he was pushed through the surface of the water.

Coughing, Volkner readjusted his grip on Quagsire as he glanced around, barely making shapes through the darkening light. It was bleak outside, so it was little wonder that the mines were dark.

The mines looked and felt so different thanks to all the murky rain water. It, however, hadn't reached the ceiling yet in the main chamber. So hopefully that meant that the other smaller caverns weren't up to the ceiling either. Then again, he had little knowledge of the mines.

Not like Roark.

He was barely able to touch the ground. He couldn't imagine what it was like for a shorty like Roark. He was fairly certain that the other gym leader would be trying to tough it out on his own. His rock pokemon didn't like water. Even if they did, what could Rampardos do with its thick back legs and little arms? And Onix was a little too big.

…How scared was Roark feeling?

Right, now where was that new chamber located…?

Floatzel suddenly squealed and darted forward, disappearing under the water, leaving Volkner alone with Quagsire. A few moments later, though, Floatzel burst through the water supporting an exhausted and spluttering Roark!

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Volkner and Quagsire battled through the water to get to them. "Roark!"

Holding onto Floatzel tightly, Roark turned to look at Volkner in utter surprise, his hat and most alarmingly his glasses completely AWOL. "V-Volkner? What are you…?"

"You reckless idiot," Volkner immediately scolded as he swam over to him. "What are you trying to do?"

"T-that new chamber," Roark spluttered as Volkner slip an arm around his waist and pull him against him, keeping him up above the turbulent waters, the two water pokemon dutifully sticking close to the two of them for support. "It leads into the underground tunnels."

Volkner winced. So he did remember correctly. The underground tunnels getting flooded would be an utter disaster. Especially for all those picnickers and hikers who was hunting for spheres. What about those who had secret bases? They would never be found!

"It's been blocked," Roark continued, his voice unexpectedly becoming hoarse as he placed his trembling arms around his neck, clinging to him. "It'll…it should be enough."

Roark had the right idea, but couldn't have someone else done it instead?!

Never mind, no more talking. Time to get out of this hell hole. "Floatzel, Quagsire, time to get out of here."

With a squeal of agreement from the two pokemon, Volkner kept a firm grip on Roark, his arm wrapped tightly around his waist as the other grasp onto the floatzel, letting the powerful swift water pokemon navigate them back to the upper world, so to speak. The entire time, Volkner made sure that Roark stayed firmly in his hold, even as they both ducked under the water to swim through the entrance.

Reaching the grey, rain laden air of the outside world was so _relieving_.

Not wanting to stay in the water for a moment longer, Volkner ordered the two pokemon to head for the nearest piece of land. Or, as he soon realised, the nearest roof top…

Grasping onto the roof tiles, Volkner pulled himself up before tugged Roark onto roof next to him, the other all but collapsing on his stomach onto the slick tiles. He was shaking uncontrollably now and appeared to be utterly exhausted. The rain was still falling heavily and it was becoming darker by the second. Had they lingered any longer, they would have to navigate the waters in the pitch black.

Hastily brushing back his hair that was plastered to his forehead, Volkner turned to look at Roark. He immediately noticed the rips and tears in his clothes, his left boot in particular was badly shredded. His skin was also alarmingly pale.

"Roark?" Volkner nudged him, his teeth starting to chatter from the cold.

"I…thought I was going to die," Roark whispered softly through trembling lips as his eyes remained hidden beneath his hair.

Without a second thought, Volkner reached out and pulled Roark in for a tight hug. With a soft whimper, Roark pressed himself against his chest, seeking both his warm and comfort. He could have…he could have died and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"Why did you do that?"

"W-we couldn't let t-the water into the t-tunnels," Roark murmured. "B-but I…I was so scared."

"Don't you dare do anything that reckless again," Volkner desperately demanded as he threaded his fingers through Roark's hair, reminding himself that the man in his arms was alive. He was safe.

Roark pressed his face against Volkner's shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

"Roark! Volkner!"

Looking up, Volkner was relieved to see Crasher Wake and Bryon riding upon the towering and powerful gyarados. He disentangled his hand from Roark's hair to press two fingers against his lips, releasing a high-pitched whistle. That immediately caught the two older gym leader's attention and they made a bee-line toward them.

What happened after that was a bit of a blur of concerned scolding, uttered thanks to Arceus for their safety and the promise that everything was going to be ok.

He did remember that it took Byron a moment or two to convince Volkner to let Roark go.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Expect a bit of fluff in the next chapter :3


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thanks so much n00dlemporium, werehogdog, ACloudyForecast and ww for reviewing the previous chapter! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

I told my annoying and interfering relatives that I was busy working on an important project for work, which made them leave me alone for a good few hours. I, of course, was working on this chapter. What? I didn't lie. This chapter is important.

I'm so glad I only see the fuckers once a year…

Anyway, please enjoy reading!

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><p>Chapter 3:<p>

The first thing that really registered in Roark's mind was that his head hurt. He also felt sluggish, like his whole body was aching and cold. And tired. Gosh, did he feel tired. All he wanted to do was to roll over and go back to sleep. And he would have, if not for the gently nudging of his shoulder.

"Roark?"

Forcing his eyes open the moment he recognised the voice, Roark lolled his head to the side and squinted. Without his glasses, his vision was strained and blur, but not so much that he couldn't see. And the person he did see surprised him. "…Riley?" he whispered, his voice surprisingly hoarse.

With his hat resting on his lap, Riley gave Roark a relieved smile. "How are you feeling?"

Roark didn't immediately respond to that question. He felt confused, his brow furrowing deeply. He didn't recognised his surroundings, the bright light far too harsh for him to be in his home. Where was he? "What happened…?"

As those words tumbled from his lips, the fog covering his mind abruptly lifted. The images of the mines, of the muddy water rising higher and higher, of the fear he felt when he couldn't breathe, of the relief he felt when Volkner appeared…

"The underground tunnels!" Roark yelled as he abruptly sat up in bed.

"Easy," Riley said, seemingly anticipating his reaction as he immediately reached out to take Roark by the shoulders, preventing him from moving.

"Volkner?" Roark asked as he gripped onto Riley's arms, turning to look at Riley with a sense of desperation. "Volkner, is he all right?"

"He's fine," Riley answered firmly, looking straight into Roark's eyes to show that he was being honest. "You're the one we're worried about."

The grip that Roark had on Riley's arms lessened, a look of surprise on his face. "M-me? Why-?"

As if responding to his own question, a white hot streak of pain raced up his left leg, causing him to grip at Riley's arms again from the pain and surprise. "Ow," he uttered as he turned his head to look down as his legs that were covered in a thick blanket.

"Your ankle is fracture with deep lacerations," Riley explained as he forced Roark to lie back down onto the bed.

"Oh…" Roark murmured as he slumped onto the mattress, grimacing as he remembered that feeling of something crushing against his foot, how heavy it was and how he wasn't able to move it. Not even an inch. "…Right, my foot was trapped under something."

He especially remembered that emotion he felt when he realised…he…was running out of air. He couldn't move. Couldn't get out…

Had Volkner not appear when he did…

Volkner saved his life. He really did. He risked his life to help him. Why? How?

"Here." Riley's voice pulled Roark out of his musings, thankfully. "Your spare glasses."

"O-oh, thanks," Roark murmured as he pushed back the wave of emotions that were bringing tears to his eyes. He grabbed his glasses and instinctively placed them on. He blinked hard as he stared up at the ceiling. "How bad is it? The flooding?"

Riley sighed deeply. "The entire city has been flooded. Some locations worse than others. Evacuations have been progressing smoothly. So far, there are no reported fatalities."

Roark wasn't surprised to hear that. He had seen the water, how quickly it rose, how fast it moved. He, however, was pleased to know that his people were being evacuated and no one had been killed. The flood happened so suddenly, so he was very, very grateful.

"And the mines?"

Riley was thankfully honest and blunt in his answer. "The mines, I'm afraid, have been completely inundated with water."

…It was going to take some time to pump all that water out.

"What about the underground tunnels?"

"Safe for now," Riley answered with a small smile. "We are organising evacuations, though. Just to be on the safe side. You did well."

Roark felt himself relax further into the mattress, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The whole thing was not in vain. He and his pokemon managed to block the new entrance into the underground tunnels. He had managed to stop a more devastating disaster.

"That's good."

"Your father is here," Riley unexpectedly stated. "He's been worried."

Roark looked at Riley in surprise. "Dad? Why would he-?" he abruptly cut himself off and grimaced. "…How mad is he?"

"Hm," Riley surprisingly chuckled as he lifted his hat and placed it upon his head. "You'd be surprised."

Roark was about to ask him what he meant by that when Riley stood up from his seat. "Try to get some rest," he said as he granted him a small smile.

Roark waited until Riley left the room, closing the door behind him before he pushed himself into a sitting position and threw off the blankets. Get some rest? Yeah, right. Not with his city inundated with water. Sure, there was little he could do with a fractured ankle, but he needed to be at least seen by the city residents. Besides…if he lay about in this bed, he would overwhelm himself with the thoughts of what-ifs.

Now that he was sitting up, he realised that he did recognise the room. It was a room in the museum. The bed was actually a make-shift cot that scientists used when they pulled an all-nighter and needed (or threatened) to take a couple of hours sleep.

And since he was in the museum, it meant that it hadn't been affected by the flooding. Thank goodness.

Still, what about the residential areas? What about his own apartment?

…He probably lost everything. Then again, where did Riley get his spare glasses from?

Placing his feet on the floor, Roark glanced down at his thickly bandaged ankle before quickly looking away. He didn't want to remind himself how close he had come to…not making it.

Shaking his head, Roark turned his attention back to his surroundings and what he needed to do. He was dressed simply in a pair of black shorts that reached his knees and a light blue t-shirt that was a fraction too big. He also couldn't help but notice that there were two seats that had been pulled over to his bed. Riley had been occupying one. Who had been using the other?

Spying a set of crutches within reach of his bed, as if they had been placed there by someone who knew he wasn't just going to lie down and sleep with so much happening, Roark perched himself on the edge of the bed and reached out to grab them. He had never used crutches before, so they might be a little difficult at first, but he was pretty sure he could handle them.

Ignoring the way his body was aching from fatigue and over-exertion, Roark placed his hands on the crutches and pushed himself to his feet. He staggered for a moment as he placed the crutches into his armpits, but was quickly able to right himself.

Now, he needed be quiet as he moved about. He wouldn't be able to get anywhere if every person he came across tried to push him back into bed. And the way he was feeling, he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. He understood why they would be concerned. A fractured ankle and near-death experience was not something to laugh at.

But the last thing Roark wanted to do was sit down and wonder what in the world was going on.

Sticking to the back hallways he knew so well, Roark came to a corner and peered around it, which was rather hard to do considering his circumstances.

The first thing he noticed was a pokemon sitting just outside the break room of the museum, seemingly giving whoever was inside some privacy as well as guarding them to insure no one interrupted. It was a luxray. Volkner's luxray. It had the electric gem that Roark had given it tied around its neck, the yellow gem shining brightly.

Since luxray was around, then that meant Volkner was nearby. He believed Riley when he said that the electric gym leader was fine, but Roark wanted, needed to see him for himself.

The electric pokemon immediately noticed him and came scurrying over. Roark leaned against the wall for support as he reached out and ruffled the pokemon's fur, letting the black and blue pokemon nuzzle its head against his side. Seeing the gem hanging lovingly around its neck was really something. It kinda brought home the fact, the realisation that he was perhaps he meant more to Volkner than he first thought. After all, if Volkner had disliked him, had any ill feeling toward him, would he risk his own life and safety to save him?

No, he wouldn't.

Roark was about to ask Luxray to show him the way to Volkner when he heard a familiar voice, a voice deep with familiar exasperation and a hint of scolding. Roark had heard it too many times not to wince in anticipation.

Seemed like poor ol' Volkner was receiving a telling-off from his dad.

"You should be resting," Byron was heard complaining.

Volkner snorted with a sense of defiance. "Nothing wrong with me. How's Roark?"

"Sleeping."

"I see."

There was a moment of pause between them when Byron seemed to become frustrated. "That was completely reckless."

"Yeah, yeah," Volkner retorted, not even remotely intimidated. Roark could easily imagine him roughly scratching the back of his neck with one hand as he shoved the other into his pocket, appearing rather bored. "I'm not listening."

Another moment of silence lapsed between them and it wasn't hard for Roark to imagine his father glaring at the rebellious Volkner with a very telling tick above his right eye. Volkner was probably going to receive a 'reminder' to be respectful to his elders.

But instead Roark heard his father sigh deeply and seemed to approach Volkner, his steel-cap boots thumping against the floor. "…Hey."

"…What?"

"You saved my son," Byron said, his voice low and thick with an emotion that was a mixture of gratitude, pride and guilt. "There is nothing I could say or do to thank you for that."

Roark drew in a sharp intake of air as Volkner made no verbal response.

"…Take care of my boy for me."

This time, Volkner's reply was immediate. "Sure."

Tears unexpectedly pricked at Roark's eyes as he pressed his back against the wall and listened to the sound of his father's footsteps moving away from him.

"I…didn't think he cared about me at all," he murmured as luxray nudged him gently with its muzzle, no doubt concerned by his tears. Roark gave luxray a shaky smile as he gently petted it upon the head. "S-sorry, I'm ok."

Grabbing his crutches, Roark pushed away from the wall and carefully made his way toward the break room. Peering into the room, Roark could see Volkner sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands folded under his chin. Looking thankfully healthy, he was dressed in a casual set of clothes, jeans with a white shirt. He had a very serious expression on his face, as if deep in thought.

He was no doubt blind-sided by what Byron had said to him. Roark was still surprised by it.

"Volkner?"

"Roark?" Volkner said as his head snapped up to attention, immediately looking over to where Roark was standing in the doorway. It was a mere split second later that Volkner pushed himself to his feet practically stalked over to him with a light scowl of concern on his face. "What are you doing up? You should be resting."

Hearing his concern, seeing how sincere it was in his eyes, Roark smiled. "Thank you."

Just before reaching him, Volkner came to a stop and looked positively startled. "Huh?"

"You risked your life to save mine," Roark said as he slowly moved into the room with the help of his crutches. "You shouldn't have done that. But I'm glad you did."

The crutches clattered loudly to the floor as Roark pushed himself forward abruptly and wrapped his arms around Volkner's neck, surprising the blond intensely. However, Volkner's arms wound themselves tightly around his waist, effortlessly holding him up off the floor so not to put any pressure on his injured leg as he pulled him closely against him.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Roark murmured as he pressed his nose into Volkner's hair, smelling the familiar scent of moistened earth.

"You scared the hell out of me," Volkner confessed.

"I had to do it," Roark replied, not to explain himself, but his thoughts at the time. Not even for a second did he think about turning and running. "I couldn't let the undergrounds flood."

Volkner sighed in a way that was both exasperated and understanding. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"I don't know how," Roark responded honestly.

He didn't. He didn't know how to take care of himself. He had always been the one who looked after everyone else. He helped keep them protected, helped them to take their first step to their dreams, helped them to learn more about the pokemon of the ancient past. Nowhere in there did he have time to look after himself.

"…Sounds like I'll have to do it."

Roark felt a smile grace his lips as he nuzzled his cheek against Volkner's hair. He wasn't aware that Volkner was carrying him until Volkner unexpected fell back onto the couch, still holding Roark tightly in his arms. Roark made a sound of surprise when he suddenly found himself sitting on Volkner's lap, sitting sideways so that there was no weight on his left leg.

A blush immediately raced across his cheeks, yet he made no attempt to move. He kept his arms around Volkner's neck as Volkner kept his own arms around his waist. They both needed this. A silent moment to simply hold each other. And the entire time, luxray sat outside the door, acting as a guard for them.

After a few moments of silence, Roark reluctantly pulled back to look up at Volkner's face, but kept his hands on his shoulders. "How bad is it really?" he asked, obviously referring to his city.

"I don't know myself," Volkner answered honestly. "Let's go see."

Roark swallowed back his trepidation and nodded his head. "Ok," he murmured as he carefully, and with a light blush, removed himself from Volkner's lap. Volkner helped him onto the couch next to him before standing up. Roark expected him to pick up the crutches he had dropped from the floor. Instead, he crouched down in front of Roark on the couch, his back presented to him.

"It'll be easier this way," Volkner said, responding to the look of confusion on Roark's face.

"If you're sure," Roark said as he shuffled forward, placing his hands on Volkner's shoulders and leaning against his back. Volkner placed his hands behind Roark's knees as he stood up, jostling Roark for just a moment to ensure that he had a good grip on his and that he was comfortable before moving out of the room.

"There's a back exit we can use," Roark said as he wrapped his arms around Volkner's neck and shoulders. "Just in case someone might try to stop us."

"Right, we'll use that."

It had thankfully stopped raining as they stepped outside, but the cloud coverage and the fact that the power to the city had been cut off caused the night to appear and feel darker than any before. Emergency lights and backup generators offered them both enough light to see what was happening, however.

And what they saw was almost hard to believe. There was brown water as far as he could see. It was rushing through houses, through homes. Street signs, lamp posts, trees – they were all gone. Sets of furniture, walls and doors, even cars, simple pieces of people's lives were seen floating on top of the water, bobbing up and down like little toys. The water was rushing through gutted homes, flowing like rivers through the doors and windows. There were even some buildings with a wall blown out by the force and pressure of the water.

His city was…in pretty bad shape.

Roark tightened his arms around Volkner's neck and pressed his face against his shoulder, feeling absolutely gutted by the state of Oreburgh City, of his city. He knew the flood would cause intensive damage, but to see it with his own eyes, it was absolutely astounding.

Despite all the devastation, though, Roark could also see emergency workers with their pokemon braving the waters to go from house to inundated house. Powerful water pokemon were aiding those struggling with the water, staying dutifully by their sides, ensuring that they were safe. Gym leaders from all over where rushing about with their pokemon, their presence alone enough to offer comfort and reassurance to those who were effected.

"You all right?" Volkner asked him gently.

"…Everything is a mess," Roark murmured. "The clean-up is going to take a while."

"You won't be able to participate in the clean-up," Volkner was quick to remind him, sounding as if he was willing to use physical force to ensure that he didn't.

And that earned him a half-chuckle from Roark. "I know."

But what was he going to do now? Were there any lives lost? What about his apartment? Where was he going to stay as he recovered?

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?!" a familiar voice boomed over the chaos.

Glancing behind them, Roark winced and felt Volkner twitch. Yeah, his father looked as angry as he sounded as he all but bulldozed toward them. But it didn't bother Roark as much as it had once. Remembering that brief conversation Byron had with Volkner…

It was nice to know that he cared. It was nice to know that he was cared for.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Let me know what you think!


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